The Italian is putting his own stamp on affairs at Stamford Bridge and showing signs of moving the club away from the influence his predecessor heldFor a manager who is commonly thought to be incapable of building a dynasty José Mourinho left a remarkably durable legacy in his first spell at Chelsea. Neither party, it seemed, could ever quite let go. Even as late as 2012-13 Mourinho was referring to Chelsea’s squad as “my players” which, to an extent, they were. Related: Antonio Conte at a loss to explain why N’Golo Kanté left Leicester Continue reading...
With the top-flight back in action this weekend, we take a look at the top seven’s strengths, weaknesses, squad depth and key players before asking whether they have got what it takes to win the leagueThe Premier League is back after the international break and, following a breathless start to the season, we assess the top seven sides in the league in search for clues as to which side will lift the trophy come May. Manchester City are the early pacesetters but their defeat at Tottenham Hotspur have given the rest of the clubs hope. It is also worth remembering that seven games into last season, Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United were top, West Ham United third and eventual winners...
The new man in the Stamford Bridge hot seat has made a mixed start to the campaign and a win over Arsenal would help settle the nervesAntonio Conte has been in situ at Chelsea for only a little more than 10 weeks but, even at this early stage, he deemed the time right to deliver a reminder of the merits of long‑term thinking. The Italian spent much of his pre-match media conference on Friday fielding questions about Arsène Wenger’s durability over two decades across the capital.Like eight of the nine permanent managers, and two interims, who have held office at Stamford Bridge while Arsenal have been overseen by the Frenchman, he spoke respectfully of an underlying admiration for his opposite...